The Los Angeles Dodgers turned to their bullpen for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday against the New York Mets, aiming for a similar result to their Game 4 performance in the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Unfortunately, this time, the strategy did not pan out as hoped.
Reliever Daniel Hudson, who had pitched during Game 1’s 9-0 blowout win, was unavailable for Tuesday’s matchup. Manager Dave Roberts was somewhat cryptic when asked why Hudson didn’t appear in the game.
“He just had some things that he couldn’t pitch today,” Roberts responded after the game, leaving many wondering about Hudson’s condition.
Looking ahead to Game 3, Roberts indicated that Hudson should be available for duty.
“I don’t think so,” he said regarding concerns about Hudson’s availability. “He should be, with two days, he should be ready to go for Game 3.”
Hudson had faced some fatigue late in the regular season but was otherwise healthy. Unfortunately, an MCL sprain in his right knee sidelined him for the 2023 postseason.
Unlike their strategy against the Padres, where they relied heavily on the bullpen to avoid elimination, the Dodgers opted for a different approach against the Mets by assigning Landon Knack to a bulk role.
However, Knack struggled to perform, leading Roberts to hold back many of the Dodgers’ high-leverage pitchers. In addition to Hudson’s absence, the Dodgers were impacted by Alex Vesia being left off the playoff roster due to an intercostal injury, further complicating the team’s plans.
“Knack was going to have to pitch at some point in time,” Roberts said. “So whether you get through, you have four high-leverage guys available, right? You have to be able to still finish four innings of a game or three innings of a game. So you’ve got to be able to get into the game at some point, too.”
In the wake of these challenges, Roberts turned to Brett Honeywell, who delivered three scoreless innings.
“I knew what my job was there, to keep us in the game,” Honeywell said. “I know for a fact that we can swing our way back into any game, no matter who’s on the hill. [Mets starter Sean] Manaea threw the ball well against us, and I thought once we got him out, we could rally a little bit. I just wanted to keep the dogs at bay and give us a chance to win the game.”
Roberts said on Tuesday that Hudson is expected to be available to pitch in Game 3.
